The present invention relates to internal combustion engines.
According to the present invention there is provided an internal combustion engine comprising a housing and a rotor mounted for oscillating rotary movement therein, the housing defining at least one compression chamber and at least one associated combustion chamber, the rotor defining for each chamber piston means for sealed sliding motion therein to constitute said oscillating rotary movement and the rotor providing internal passage means for effecting selective communication between the or each compression chamber and its associated combustion chamber.
Preferably each cylinder is part-toroidal and its associated piston means is correspondingly part-toroidal for sliding therein and ideally the cylinders are substantially circular in radial cross-section.
In preferred arrangements the rotor comprises a central shaft which extends through the housing and which is supported by means of bearings for rotation relative to the housing and also the housing provides inlet means incorporating one way valves for the passage of fuel mixture to the or each compression chamber and exhaust means for the passage of combustion products from the or each combustion chamber.
In one embodiment the housing provides a pair of identical compression chambers in a common plane, the two compression chambers being oppositely disposed and being separated by a pair of compression bulkheads which extend radially inwardly. Usually each compression bulkhead incorporates said inlet means.
With some of these arrangements said inlet means in each compression bulkhead comprises a radially extending inlet bore which terminates with a cross-bore which opens at one end into one of the compression chambers and at the other end into the other of the compression chambers, the one way valves being disposed in the cross bores to allow passage of fuel mixture only into the compression chambers. Preferably a pair of oppositely disposed compression pistons extend from a first central hub provided on the shaft, the central hub sealingly engaging and rotating relative to the pair of compression bulkheads and each compression piston dividing its compression chamber into first and second parts.
In certain arrangements the internal passage means comprising a through bore in each compression piston the through bore communicating with a radial bore extending inwardly through the piston and through the central hub to an axially extending bore in the shaft and also the ends of each through bore opening into the associated compression chamber each having a one way valve to allow passage of fuel mixture to the radial bore.
Conveniently the housing provides a pair of identical combustion chambers in single plane axially spaced from the common plane of the compression chambers, the two combustion chambers being oppositely disposed and being separated by a pair of identical combustion bulkheads which extend radially inwardly. Ideally the exhaust means comprises an exhaust passage extending substantially radially through the outer periphery of the housing and opening centrally into each combustion chamber.
With preferred arrangements a pair of oppositely disposed combustion pistons extend from a second central hub provided on the shaft, the second central hub sealingly engaging and rotating relative to the pair of combustion bulkheads and each combustion piston dividing its combustion chamber into two parts. In addition the internal passage means further comprises oppositely disposed radially extending openings from the axial bore in the shaft through the second central hub for selective communication with the respective combustion chambers depending on the position of the rotor. Preferably each radial opening in the second central hub opens centrally between the pair of combustion pistons.
In another embodiment the housing provides a compression chamber and an oppositely disposed combustion chamber in a common plane, the chambers being separated by a pair of identical bulkheads which extend radially inwardly. Usually the bulkheads each have an inlet passage opening into the compression chamber via a one way valve.
Preferably the rotor comprise a central shaft and a central hub which sealingly engages and rotates relative to the bulkheads, a compression piston extending from the central hub for sliding oscillation within the compression chamber and a combustion piston extending from the central hub for sliding oscillation within the combustion chamber. In one arrangement the compression piston has a through bore with a one way valve at each circumferential end, which through bore communicates with a radial bore which extends inwardly through the compression piston and through the central hub to the shaft where two radial passages extend through the central hub either to open into the respective combustion chambers or to be blocked by the respective bulkheads depending on the location of the rotor relative to the housing.
Ideally the housing further provides an exhaust opening from the combustion chamber, the opening being centrally disposed between the bulkheads.